Why do you need them? and what are your options as a small business?
Task management software is a great tool to manage a business day to day operation as well as your personal to-do list. They are commonly divided into two types – Task managers and project management tools.
Task Managers
Task managers are widely available in most business suite software packages. For example, Google Workspace offers Google Tasks (my personal favorite) which is a semi-collaborative task manager. Office 365 has MsTasks which is the Microsoft version of a task manager with similar capabilities. Even CRMs have their own built-in task managers to manage specific sales tasks. The idea of a task manager is to set up tasks and assign them to other team members in your workspace. it is also designed to set deadlines to make sure your team is on track with deliverables. Task managers are great tools to manage individual tasks but they are very limited in managing complex projects. They simply don’t possess the required functionality to enable you to follow through and deliver a project with a team. Whether you are using a project manager or not, you can surely benefit from a simple task manager to manage your daily affairs. Not to mention they are mostly free and come with your business suites, so you may as well use them!
Project Management
Project management software enables you to manage specific and complex projects individually on one centralised platform. Depending on the software, you will be able to set up, monitor and complete a project on one dashboard and collaborate with your team which is an essential feature. It can save time, labor, and consequently Money, especially for small businesses.
I am sure you like the sound of that but how exactly?
Historically small business suffers from a few common repetitive management issues. A properly set up project management software can minimise or possibly eliminate a number of these challenges.
What is the pain point and how does the PM software make your life easier?
- Mismanagement – This is a common problem in small businesses especially when it comes to businesses with a few key staff who do everything. The human capacity to adapt and perform is quite amazing but it’s not limitless. Overloading capable and high-performing staff will affect their performance and eventually reduces their productivity. Project management tools assist teams to manage multi-level tasks and focus on the execution rather than the administration side of projects – The tool is there to do the management work for you. Features such as a checklist, task list, task assignments and timers are only a few examples of the functionalities that can help you manage your team more efficiently.
- Repetitive Tasks – Another common challenge that slows down your productivity is repetitive time-consuming tasks. They are boring, repetitive and extremely labor-intensive. Fortunately, they can be automated through task and project management software. That alone will save you many many hours of endless administration work.
- Missing Deadlines – Many small business owners are single operators and they multitask all day every day, even while taking phone calls from customers. They get new inquiries and take on more work with every phone call. Yes, I am talking about you. It gets to a point where it is literally impossible to manage without help or a proper system. And if you don’t get one, you will start missing things which results in loss of business and unhappy customers.
- Manage Remote Teams – One of the best ways to manage a small business without breaking the bank is to hire virtual (remote) staff. All modern small businesses do that, especially for general admin roles. Finding and hiring the right virtual staff is one thing, utilising them right is entirely a different ball game. Cloud base project management tools enable you to manage anyone from anywhere around the globe. They are easy to use and fun to work with. Features such as team management, task assignments, timer, and file sharing are examples of great collaborative tools over the Internet that allows you to manage your team better and more efficiently.
In Conclusion, any business (especially a small business) can benefit greatly from utilising a simple task or project management system to get on top of things. We at Brissy have many solutions that can help your business. Our end-to-end solutions come with installation, setup, training and ongoing support.
So don’t wait another day, talk to us today and see how they can help you manage your business better.
